The suspected killers of Rev Fr. Jude Egbom of St Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Amucha in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo state have been arrested by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, F-SARS of Imo police command.
According to correspondence report, Rev Fr. Egbom was on Monday night along Nkwerre- Anara road shot and killed while the hoodlums made away with his private car.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dasuki Galadanchi who Paraded the suspects on Thursday, said that the suspects; Chigozie Uzoukwu, 33, and Peter Ochokwu, 21 were nabbed in Nkwerre on September 11.
The Imo CP declared that no murderer goes unpunished and decried the reckless killing of the cleric
Lamenting the gruesome murder of the Priest, CP Galadanchi revealed that he activated the Tactical Units of the command to go after the fleeing criminals.
The efforts of the command, he said paid off with the arrest of the two suspects as well as recovery of the Priest’s vehicle and traveling bag.
The Imo Police boss informed that one of the suspects, Ochokwu, was an ex convict who had spent one year in Owerri Prison for alleged involvement in an armed robbery case.
According to the CP, ” on September 11 at Owerri Nkwoji in Nkwerre LGA, Imo state ,F-SARS operatives led by CSP Godfrey Victor, on a tip-off intelligence arrested the two suspects in connection with the murder of Rev Fr Egbom. ”
He gave the names of the suspects as, one Peter Ochokwu, 21, Chigozie Uzoukwu, 33 both of Umuibu in Owerre Nkworji, Nkwerre LGA, adding that
a black Toyota Corolla car with Registration No. FKJ 984 EV suspected to belong to the bandits who robbed and murdered the Rev Father was recovered.
He said, “Interestingly, one leg of a pair of shoe was found in the abandoned car of the Rev. Fr. while the other leg of the shoe was found in the Toyota Corolla belonging to the suspects.
Adding that, “some of the property in the same suspect’s car was found in one of the suspect’s house.”
CP Galadanchi further disclosed that the owner of the Barbing salon, one Raphael, where the Priest had gone to shave before he was murdered had been picked for questioning.
The Police boss explained that the gang made up of Kelechi Nnajiuba, 24, Ifeanyi Chukwukere, 28, and Ekene Ohaeri, 27, were members of the gang who are already in Police custody for the kidnapping of a staff of National Population Commission, NPC.
The CP recalled that the gang had collected N5m ransom, and steal went ahead to kill their victim’s (NPC boss) Police orderly and, stole his AK47 rifle with which they have been terrorising the State, even as he said that the police had been on the trail of the leaders of the gang.
Mr Galadanchi further explained that, a pair of shoes, two vehicles, a traveling bag belonging to the slain Priest and 46 pieces of permanent Voter’s Cards, (PVC) were recovered as exhibits from one of the two suspects’ house.